Great Hollywood comeback stories
Although it is easy to think that Hollywood stars have everything handed to them on a silver platter, these comeback stories show that they also work hard to achieve success.
1. Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda was dominating it all from the 1950s until the 1990s. She was an Oscar-winning actress, stage star, and fitness video pioneer. When she married billionaire Ted Turner she retired from her acting. A few years after her divorce in 2005 she decided to make a Hollywood comeback. In 2005 she starred opposite Jennifer Lopez in Monster-in-Law and then four years later returned to Broadway after nearly 50 years of absence. She has recently starred in Netflix comedy-drama Grace and Frankie and continues to work steadily on stage and screen.
2. Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra was a Hollywood sensation but when the 1950s came along his prominence began to fade. He was successfully leading the Rat Pack in Las Vegas but was missing Hollywood. When Frank landed Burt Lancaster’s film, From Here to Eternity he received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
3. Marlon Brando
Marlon acted in films such as A Streetcar Named Desire, Viva Zapata!,Julius Caesar, On the Waterfront and Sayonara. He was nominated for countless awards but in the 1960s the actor struggled with box office success as rumours swirled that he was a difficult actor to work with. The star’s popularity and role offers decreased. In 1972 it all changed when Marlon starred in The Godfather which is arguably his most famous role. Although Paramount Pictures didn’t want to work with him, Francis Ford Coppola made Marlon an offer he couldn’t turn down. He received his second Oscar for Best Actor for this role.
4. Betty White
Betty White featured in her most famous role as Rose Nyland in TV series Golden Girls. The series ended in 1992 and Betty’s public profile diminished. She featured on TV shows such as The Bold and the Beautiful and won an Emmy for a guest appearance on The John Larroquette Show. However, she wasn’t the cultural phenomenon she is now. In 2010 when she featured on a Snickers commercial for the Super Bowl she went viral. She then hosted Saturday Night Live and then starred in the sitcom Hot in Cleveland. She’s maintained her prominence since that time and featured in other titles.
5. Gloria Swanson
Gloria Swanson was a star during the silent film era and one of the most famous women in the world in the 1920s. She was among the first actresses competing for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She transitioned into talkies with her role in The Trespasser, which earned her an Oscar nomination. However, her movies did not fare well in the new era of sound and her films flopped. For almost two decades, the world heard little of Gloria until she starred in Sunset Boulevard in 1950, heralded as one of the greatest comebacks in film history. It earned her a third Oscar nomination for Best Actress and Gloria was once again catapulted into stardom.
Which Hollywood star is your favourite comeback story? Let us know in the comments below.